Tories, Grits nearly tied for support, poll finds

[Clintonista2]

The latest Strategic Counsel poll, conducted between Feb. 5 and Feb. 9 for CTV and the Globe and Mail, shows that the two main parties have seen a shift in support since last October's federal election (difference in brackets):

Conservatives: 32 per cent (-6)
Liberals: 33 per cent (+7)
NDP: 17 per cent (-1)
Bloc Quebecois: 5 per cent (-5)
Green Party: 13 per cent (+6)
The poll reflects a shifting political landscape marked by the Tory budget, a slumping economy and the impact of new Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, according to the Strategic Counsel's Peter Donolo.

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"It's not surprising, given the Liberals have a new leader who seems to have avoided some of the mishaps and traps that were laid for him and that his predecessor stepped in."

Donolo said that Ignatieff has benefited from dismantling the Liberal-NDP coalition, which was to be supported by the Bloc Quebecois and was deeply unpopular with many Canadians.

The poll asked 1,000 Canadians what party they would vote for if a federal election were "held tomorrow."

Across the country

In Ontario, the poll found that the two major parties have seen big swings in popular support since the last federal election (difference in brackets):

Conservatives: 28 per cent (-11)
Liberals: 43 per cent (+9)
NDP: 20 per cent (+2)
Green Party: 9 per cent (+1)
Quebec voters, meanwhile, appear to be abandoning the Bloc since the last election while the Greens have seen a huge surge in the province (difference in brackets):

Bloc Quebecois: 22 per cent (-16)
Liberals: 24 per cent (0)
Conservatives: 17 per cent (-5)
NDP: 12 per cent (0)
Green Party: 26 per cent (22 per cent)
In Western Canada, meanwhile, the Grits have seen a reversal of fortunes since the last election that could give them a foothold in the Tory heartland (difference in brackets):

Conservatives: 50 per cent (-3)
Liberals: 24 per cent (+8)
NDP: 16 per cent (-6)
Greens: 10 per cent (+1)
In explaining some of the findings, Donolo said the Tory budget, which was passed with Liberal support in Parliament last week, has been a boon for Ignatieff.

The Liberals attached an amendment to the budget which states that the Conservatives must give Parliament regular updates on key spending measures contained within the document's $35-billion economic stimulus package.

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Donolo noted that the Grit's political maneuver has created the impression that Ignatieff "is calling the shots, as opposed to Mr. Harper pushing him around."

By contrast, former Liberal leader Stephane Dion was branded by the Tories as being a weak leader, and he was regularly criticized by the NDP for supporting Conservative legislation in Parliament.

Meanwhile, the Tories haven't appeared "surefooted" in handling the global recession, said Donolo.

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090210%2fGrits_Poll_090210

[daleo]

1. I was just looking at the Harris poll

It's fairly similar. Ignatieff is getting good leadership numbers. I imagine the Conservatives will come out with attack ads soon (I think they will focus on Ignatieff's intellectuality). I don't know if they would work, though. I think people are tiring of that, and Harper's recent flip-flops on the economy make him look unsure of himself. People might be ready for an intellectual, rather as they were in the States with Obama.

All that being said, I think Dion got shafted. As time goes on, we will see that he was right about a lot of things.